Lap-roll tension for cotton-opening machines.



Patenfed Feb. I3, 1900.

F. H. L. JAMES. LAP ROLL TENSION FOR COTTON OPENING MACHINES.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shunt I.

(No Model.)

Ink/ENTER E SE5 4 Ask" momumcu wAsHmorcN, u. c.

No. 643,295. Patented |=e|1.|3, |9o0.

F. u. JAMES. LAP ROLL TENSION FOR COTTON OPENING MACHINES.

(Application filed Dec. 18. 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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5E5 Ink/ENTER Enron.

FREDERICK H. L. JAMES, OE PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE SACO & PETTEE MACHINE SHOPS, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAP-ROLL TENSION FOR COTTON-OPENING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,295, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed December 18, 1899. Serial No. 740,775. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. L. J AMES, of Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lap-Roll Tensions for Cotton-Opening Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to the herein-described means for varying the tension upon the lap-roll of cotton-opening machines. It is necessary for the purpose of regulating the thickness of the lap and for other reasons to use a tension, which must first be set to the desired extent and which afterward often requires to be adjusted either for the purpose of obtaining the required tension or for the purpose of varying the tension to meet some requirement of the lap desired. I-Ieretofore, so far as I am aware, no means for the adjustment of the lap-roll tension have been used which are capable of adjustment without requiring the removal of parts and which can be used when the machine is in condition for immediate operation and often while the machine is in operation, and my invention comprises devices whereby the adjustment of the tension of the lap-roll may be made without the removal of parts and while the machine is in condition for immediate operation and while it is being operated.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a cottonopening machine equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in section upon the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4: are detailed views of parts of the device to which reference will hereinafter be made.

A is the lap-roll; a is its spindle, which is mounted upon the hangers B in the usual way. The hangers are at the upper end of the sliding rack-bars C, one of which is shown. The rack c engages the pinion 0, fast to the shaft 0 This pinion is connected by a hub with a gear 0 which meshes with the pinion c on the short shaft 0 supported by the frame side and which carries a gear 0, which meshes with the pinion c on the sleeve 0 loosely mounted on the outer end of the shaft 0 This sleeve has a tension-wheel c and a handwheel 0 is fastened to the shaft 0 The tension-wheel has bearing against it a retardingsurface (55, which is formed upon or supported by the lever D, which bears at one end an overbalancing-weight d and has its other end at extended to form a treadle. 7

So far I have described an ordinary type of lap-roll tension mechanism. To vary the degree of tension upon the lap-roll and lap, it is necessary that the tension or retarding surface cZ shall bear for a greater or less part of its area upon the surface of the tensionwheel, and the fixing of the degree of tension 6 5 so obtained is a matter of very nice and careful adjustment. It is not desirable to vary the position of the overbalancing-weight upon the lever for the purpose of accomplishing this end; but it is desirable to accomplish it by varying the position of the tension-surface of the lever with respect to the tension-wheel without varying the fulcrum of the lever or the relation which the overbalancing-weight bears to the tension-surface of the lever, and I have employed for the purpose of so bodily moving together the lever and the weight to secure this increased or decreased extent of bearing of the tension-surface of the lever upon the tension-wheel an adjustable leverfulcrum E, which is represented as having the eccentric bearing c for the lever and the fastening extension e",which extends through a hole 6 in the frame side and has a threaded end a which receives a locking-n ut c and a 8 5 collar 6 which prevents the lever from having endwise movement upon its eccentric bearing, and the lever-fulcrum also has its outer end e shaped to receive a turning wrench. To adjust the tension, the lockingnut e is loosened and the fulcrum turned by the wrench or other means to such extent as shall cause the tension-surface of the lever upon the tension-wheel to be increased or decreased, as desired, and when this has been done the nut is tightened and the lever-fulcrum locked in its adjusted position. By

means of this adjustment variations in the extent of tension upon the tension-Wheel are a readily and promptly secured and fine varia- I00 tions in tension upon the lap are readily obtained.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In combination with a lap-roll and as a means for varying the tension upon the lap being wound thereon, a tension-Wheel connected with the lap-roll, a tension-lever having a curved bearing-surfaceand means for varying the relation of said surface to the tension-wheel, comprising a fulcrum attached to the machine-frame to be turned therein and to be locked in any desired position and having an eccentric bearing upon which the lever is mounted and by which the position of 

